Forget 5G, China Says 6G Is Already on the Way

原创 Hannah F. theBeijinger

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China has been a leader in piloting and developing 5G technology, but on Nov 6, mere days after the launch of 5G networks across 50 of China's major cities, the Ministry of Science and Technology made a shock announcement saying that research on 6G core technology and related policy standardization was already underway.

Why does this matter?

An announcement about 6G (short for 6th generation mobile technology) development has varied implications, for technological development, geopolitics, and consumer choices. These include:

Technological implications: A new generation of mobile communications technology traditionally emerges every decade. If China can leapfrog 5G, it will significantly accelerate its technological advancement.
Consumer implications: If successfully achieved, 6G would increase ease of use for consumers in terms of speed and accessibility of services.
Geopolitical implications: Technological ability and control is a major point of contention in the US-China trade war and will continue to be a hot button issue far into the future. Governments and competitors across regions have viewed China's development of 5G with wariness, given its implications for privacy and national security. Should China lead both 5G and 6G development, efforts to separate these networks and their usage by location are likely to be more difficult.

What's currently happening with 6G?

Measures to develop 6G technology in China include:

Policy collaboration with the Ministry of Development and Reform, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Research support and discussion from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Natural Science Foundation of China.
A related working group and handpicked committee, including 37 experts from universities, research institutes, and enterprises. This task force is responsible for offering 6G technical research and advice.

The takeaway: 6G is very much in the initial phases of development, but regulators are eager to move quickly and view 6G as a critical component of the oft-invoked call to "national development." As Ministry of Science and Technology Vice Minister Wang Wei has outlined, 6G is intended to serve lofty aims, saying, "In this critical period of national development, we must attach great importance to coordinating the layout, promoting efficiency, and opening innovation."

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What's next?

The Ministry of Science and Technology will expand its research and draw in other relevant government agencies, as well as explore potential technical approaches. In addition, the private sector is working to support government development aims. Huawei has confirmed the launch of 6G mobile network research in Ottawa, Canada – one of four core hubs heading their 5G R&D efforts – in addition to seeking joint research projects with Canadian universities. Only time will tell how the continued fight for the extradition of CFO and daughter of the founder of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, will further affect Huawei's development constraints and US-China relations. The hearing is scheduled to begin on Jan 20, 2020.